Written Answers Tuesday 30 January 2007

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response units attending Category A calls are staffed solely by a paramedic or a technician.

Mr Andy Kerr: As a general rule, rapid response units will be staffed by either a single paramedic or a single technician. In some cases they may be double crewed.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response units attending Category B calls are staffed solely by a paramedic or a technician.

Mr Andy Kerr: Rapid response units are primarily intended to be deployed to Category A calls, but will attend Category B calls occasionally. As a general rule, rapid response units will be staffed either by a single paramedic or a single technician. In some cases they may be double crewed.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response unit would ever be staffed solely by a probationary ambulance technician.

Mr Andy Kerr: A rapid response unit should not be staffed solely by a probationary ambulance technician.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response unit would ever be staffed solely by a probationary paramedic.

Mr Andy Kerr: A probationary paramedic is a qualified technician with at least 18 months’ experience and could be deployed on a single-manned rapid response unit.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive how many back-up ambulances have been called to assist rapid response units attending Category A calls in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not available.

  The priority based dispatch system provides for the dispatcher in the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre to deploy a rapid response unit to Category A calls and to back that up with the deployment of an ambulance. It may be that the clinical condition later warrants that the ambulance be stood down.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive how many back-up ambulances have been called to assist rapid response units attending Category B calls in each of the last five years.

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulance staff have reported incidents of assault while carrying out their duties in single-staffed ambulances or rapid response units in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not available.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive how long the training period is for an ambulance (a) technician and (b) paramedic.

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive how long the probationary period is for an ambulance (a) technician and (b) paramedic.

Mr Andy Kerr: The training period for an ambulance technician is nine weeks residential at the Scottish Ambulance College. The probationary period for a technician is one year following the training period.

  Technicians must have a minimum of 18 months post technician experience before applying to become a paramedic. They attend six weeks residential training at the Scottish Ambulance College. This is followed by a minimum of four weeks clinical training in a teaching hospital under the supervision of medical staff where they must demonstrate competence and knowledge in various clinical skills and techniques. Once qualified, the paramedics must register with the Health Professions Council to which they are professionally accountable. The Scottish Ambulance Service takes a supporting role in their continuous professional development, with paramedic staff undertaking refresher training annually.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a separate budget for Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response units and, if so, what that budget has been in each year since 2003.

Mr Andy Kerr: The ambulance service has received considerable increases in revenue funding over recent years. Since 2002-03, its allocation has increased by some 30% and currently stands at £167.8 million. It is for that organisation to decide how best to invest its funding in the interests of patient care and value for money.

  The ambulance service does not have a separate budget for rapid response units.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of all ambulances sent out as a result of Category A calls are staffed by one ambulance technician or paramedic.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not available.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive whether mechanics employed by the Scottish Ambulance Service to service and repair ambulances and rapid response vehicles also service and repair vehicles of NHS boards or private individuals.

Mr Andy Kerr: The ambulance service works in partnership with NHS boards and other bodies in this way, where there is capacity to do so.

Ambulance Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Ambulance Service’s target of reaching 75% of Category A calls within eight minutes is being met.

Mr Andy Kerr: The target is to respond to 75% of Category A calls within eight minutes by the last quarter of 2007-08. Against the background of an increase of over 11% in the number of emergency calls since last year, the ambulance service currently responds to patient in an average of 8.4 minutes.

Care of Elderly People

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many elderly residents have received free personal care in the Stirling parliamentary constituency.

Lewis Macdonald: Information on free personal care is collected at local authority level and is not available for parliamentary constituencies.

  The latest statistics show that at the end of September 2006 there were 226 older people in care homes receiving free personal care payments of £145 per week from Stirling Council. Of these, 142 people also received £65 per week for free nursing care.Stirling council also provided personal care services for free to 445 people living in their own homes.

Concessionary Travel

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether pensioners will be entitled to concessionary fares on the proposed Edinburgh tram scheme and, if no decision has been made on the issue, when a decision will be made and what the reasons are for the position on the matter.

Tavish Scott: No decision has been made on whether the free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people should be extended to cover travel on any future Edinburgh tram network. The current scheme will be reviewed after its first few years of operation and Scottish ministers may make regulatory changes to it in light of any relevant findings available then.

Defence

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Ministry of Defence regarding the contract to make kilts for the Royal Regiment of Scotland and which Scottish manufacturers have been considered for the contract.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including defence and defence procurement. The Ministry of Defence procurement processes must comply with Public Procurement Regulations, which are applicable under United Kingdom and European Union law. I understand, however, that two companies based in Scotland are among the companies being considered for the supply of kilts for the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Dentistry

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30371 by Lewis Macdonald on 19 December 2006, why the dental bursary is not available to Scottish students studying in the rest of the United Kingdom who intend to work in Scotland after graduation.

Lewis Macdonald: A dental bursary scheme, available elsewhere in the UK, could not be restricted only to Scottish students.

  The main purpose of the bursary scheme is to encourage students, who are studying at the dental schools in Scotland, to remain in Scotland and work in NHS dental services in Scotland after graduation.

Dentistry

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dental surgeons operated in the NHS in (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde at the most recent date for which figures are available and what the comparable figures were in 2003.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is shown in the following table.

  Number of Dentists1 Providing NHS General Dental Services; at 31 March

  

 
Renfrewshire2
Inverclyde2


2006
90
35


2003
89
31



  Source: ISD Scotland.Notes:1. The number of NHS general dentists in post, not the whole-time equivalent, as information on the working hours of each dentist is not collected.2. The number of NHS non-salaried and salaried principals, assistants and vocational dental practitioners working in dental practices based within the local authority areas Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.

Domestic Abuse

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what services are available for (a) men and (b) women who are victims of domestic violence in each local authority area.

Rhona Brankin: The information requested is not held centrally.

Domestic Abuse

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the provision of services for (a) men and (b) women who are victims of domestic violence.

Rhona Brankin: The Executive is committed to tackling domestic abuse in all its forms and works with the National Group to Address Violence Against Women in progressing this agenda, including consideration of ways in which to encourage and develop improved service provision. While the focus of this work is on women who experience domestic abuse, as outlined in the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland, we are looking into issues around domestic abuse and same sex relationships and the Scottish Executive has provided funding to LGBT Youth Scotland to help equip mainstream organisations provide services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people experiencing abuse usually from a same sex partner. In addition, following research carried out in 2002 we wrote to service providers – local authorities; health boards and others; to ask them to consider how they can best publicise their services to enable more male victims of domestic abuse to find the help they need and to encourage them to do so.

Housing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average waiting times were for persons seeking (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three and (iv) four-bedroom local authority homes in each of the last five years, broken down by authority, and which local authorities had the (A) longest and (B) shortest waiting times.

Rhona Brankin: The information requested is not held centrally. The numbers of households on waiting lists for each local authority are published on an annual basis in the quarterly Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series) Housing trends in Scotland: quarters ending 31 March. This is available online in the publications section of the housing statistics branch reference site: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/PubHousingTrend .

Housing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacant local authority houses there were in each of the last five years, broken down by authority.

Rhona Brankin: The numbers of vacant local authority dwellings as at 31 March are published on an annual basis in the quarterly Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series) Housing trends in Scotland: quarters ending 31 March. Bulletins for the past five years are available on-line in the publications section of the housing statistics branch reference site:  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/HousinJg-Regeneration/PubHousingTrend .

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will replace the £200,000 funding of Operation Pentameter, the joint police operation against human trafficking, which was withdrawn by Reflex, a serious crime law enforcement taskforce funded by the Home Office.

Cathy Jamieson: Operation Pentameter was always intended to be a short-term, UK-wide operation to raise public awareness of the issue of human trafficking. As a result of its success, the UK Human Trafficking Centre opened in October 2006. The Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency is working closely with this UK Centre to ensure that intelligence is shared across the UK and that investigation of this appalling crime is tackled effectively.

Marches

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for exemption from the notification procedure for marches have been received since the publication of Review of Marches and Parades in Scotland - Guidance for Scottish Local Authorities in December 2006; from which local authorities and on what date each application was (a) received and (b) determined, and what the decision was in each case.

Cathy Jamieson: No applications have been received.

Mental Health

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has concerning the number of recently discharged Scottish servicemen and servicewomen who are receiving psychiatric treatment for mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and whether the Ministry of Defence contributes to the cost of such care and treatment.

Lewis Macdonald: The statistical information requested is not held centrally. The Transfer of Functions (Ministry of Pensions) Order 1953 passed the financial and administrative responsibility for the provision of medical and surgical services for war pensioners to health departments. In Scotland funding was transferred to NHS boards. Travel and subsistence costs remain the responsibility of the Veterans Agency.

  The Ministry of Defence funds a programme for members of the Reserve Forces with mental health problems associated with operational deployment. The services are available to current Reserve Services personnel and those demobilised since January 2003 following overseas operational deployment. Referrals are through individual general practitioners.Following assessment, appropriate out-patient treatment is provided and funded by the Defence Medical Services from facilities in Kinloss, Leuchars and Faslane. Those assessed as requiring in patient treatment are referred through their general practitioner to NHS care. NHS mental health care provided to discharged service men and women is funded from NHS resources.The Health Department is working with the Ministry of Defence and others, for the better organisation of services and care of former servicemen and women including attention to psychiatric needs.

NHS Staff

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in relation to reducing verbal and physical abuse towards NHS staff in hospitals.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Staff Governance Standard commits NHSScotland employers to providing staff with a safe and secure environment.

  To help employers, the Health Department has invested over £700,000 in the last few years on measures aimed at reducing violent and abusive behaviour towards NHSScotland staff. This includes zero tolerance awareness poster campaigns for hospitals in 2003 and 2005 with further posters planned for 2007. Last December we issued awareness posters specifically designed for GP practices. Around £500,000 has been provided to NHS boards for local projects to reduce the risk of violence to staff. Examples of what this provided are:installing door entry systemsprovision of alarms and panic buttonsincreased securitymobile phone contact, such as guardian angel for staff working in the community.It is proposed to gather information on what NHS boards are doing locally and to share good practice with other boards.NHS employers have also installed CCTV cameras and some have a hot line to the local police or have a police presence at accident and emergency wards. The Emergency Workers Act provides legal protection to nurses and doctors and anyone helping them in an emergency. This applies to anyone working in the in the hospital setting. In addition, NHS employers also have a sanction to withdraw treatment in specific instances.Statistics related to violence is collected and can be seen at Current published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under workforce statistics, http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

Police

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers from each constabulary have so far been sent to cover the year-long "Faslane 365" protest at the Faslane naval base.

Cathy Jamieson: Only officers from Strathclyde Police and the Ministry of Defence Police have been involved in policing the Faslane 365 protest.

Ports

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made regarding a cruise liner terminal being built outwith the port gates at Leith and when a final decision on the issue will be announced.

Tavish Scott: This is an operational matter for Forth Ports plc.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the Scottish Prison Service budget was spent on education in 2005-06.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is not available. The Scottish Prison Service incurred direct expenditure of some £3.5 million on education in 2005-06. This figure excludes the cost of education service included in the cost of the HM Prison Kilmarnock contract – which has a unitary payment for the full service – and internal resources at all establishments which provided education services during this period.An extensive analysis of correctional opportunities for prisoners was published in January 2005 by Audit Scotland. This report sought to provide estimated costs for correctional opportunities and this remains the most comprehensive attempt to quantify the associated costs. A similar exercise has not been undertaken since then.

Procurement

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the value of public procurement by Scottish public sector organisations and its impact on the economy is measured.

Mr Tom McCabe: The McClelland Review of public procurement, which reported in March 2006, estimated the value of procurement by devolved bodies in Scotland as being in the region of £8 billion per annum. The Scottish Executive does not measure the impact on the economy of contracts awarded by Scottish public sector organisations. As part of its response to the McClelland Review, the Executive is considering ways of gathering consistent data from across the wider public sector and has established an advisory group, consisting mainly of business representatives, to advise on the impact on suppliers of the procurement reform agenda.

Procurement

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value of public procurement by Scottish public sector organisations was in each of the last five years, also showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of public sector contracts were awarded to companies based in Scotland in each of the last five years and what the total value of these contracts was in each year, also showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many small and medium-sized enterprises based in Scotland were awarded public sector contracts in each of the last five years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information centrally and therefore could only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

Racism

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many racially motivated assaults (a) were reported and (b) resulted in a case being brought before the courts in each year since 1999, broken down by sheriff court.

Cathy Jamieson: Official statistics on racist incidents recorded by the police in Scotland from 2003-04 to 2005-06 will by published by the Scottish Executive in March 2007. This will be the first time that such information has been collated and published, and it will contain data on racist incidents where a crime of assault was subsequently recorded.

  The available data for persons proceeded against in Scottish courts where a racial aggravator has been recorded is given in the following table. Racial aggravator data is not available for earlier years.

  Persons Proceeded Against for Assault1,2 in Scottish Courts where a Racial Aggravator Code3 has been Recorded, 2004-05.

  

Court Procedure
2004-05


High Court 
4


Sheriff Summary 
 


Aberdeen 
4


Airdrie 
3


Alloa 
-


Arbroath 
-


Ayr 
1


Banff 
-


Campbelltown
-


Cupar 
-


Dingwall 
1


Dornoch
-


Dumbarton 
2


Dumfries 
2


Dundee 
8


Dunfermline 
-


Dunoon
-


Duns
-


Edinburgh 
24


Elgin 
2


Falkirk 
1


Forfar 
1


Fort William 
-


Glasgow 
54


Greenock 
1


Haddington 
3


Hamilton 
1


Inverness 
4


Jedburgh 
-


Kilmarnock 
7


Kirkcaldy 
1


Kirkcudbright
1


Kirkwall
-


Lanark 
1


Lerwick
-


Linlithgow 
2


Lochmaddy
-


Oban
-


Paisley 
6


Peebles
-


Perth 
2


Peterhead 
-


Portree
-


Rothesay
-


Selkirk
-


Stirling 
3


Stonehaven
-


Stornoway 
-


Stranraer
-


Tain 
1


Wick
-


Scotland
140



  Notes:1. Where main offence.2. Assault defined as serious assault, robbery and assault with intent to rob, assault with intent to commit unnatural crimes, assault with intent to ravish, indecent assault, petty assault, petty assault of an emergency worker.3. Offence aggravator codes will not be recorded for non-Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems (ISCJIS) cases and courts that are not yet ISCJIS compliant.

Rail Network

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on twin tracking the railway line between Annan and Gretna.

Tavish Scott: Network Rail is working towards a redoubling of the track between Annan and Gretna for completion in February 2008.

Rail Network

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been received by Transport Scotland regarding the provision of a new rail halt at Eastriggs in Dumfriesshire.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has received two responses to the Consultation on Rail Priorities in support of reopening Eastriggs station in Dumfriesshire. One from Dumfries and Galloway Council, the other did not give permission for their response to be made public.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the written evidence dated 3 May 2006 by John McLean, former Director of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO), to the Justice 1 Committees inquiry, (paper J1/S2/06/17/2), whether it will provide full information in respect of the misidentification of fingerprint evidence in the Scottish Fingerprint Service in June 2000; whether any of the experts concerned in this misidentification were involved in the misidentification of mark Y7 in the Marion Ross murder case; whether there was an independent inquiry into this misidentification and, if so, who carried it out and what the result was; whether the work of the experts concerned with this misidentification was checked for other misidentifications and, if so, over what period of time; whether the experts accepted that they had made mistakes and what remedial action was taken, and whether any of these experts are involved in providing expert evidence in Scottish courts at present.

Cathy Jamieson: There was no misidentification confirmed in the written evidence dated 3 May 2006 by John McLean. That written evidence is available at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/justice1/papers-06/j1p06-17.pdf .

Scottish Executive Buildings

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what official residences have been made available to Scottish ministers in the course of their duties; where each residence is; what the council tax banding of each is, and to which Scottish minister each residence is allocated.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on each official residence made available to a Scottish minister on (a) council tax, (b) rent, (c) repairs and maintenance, (d) redecoration and (e) other running costs in 2005-06.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29639 on 22 December 2006, which gave the relevant information in respect of Bute House which is used in part as an official residence for the First Minister and is the only building the Executive uses as such. Of the £75,500 spent on maintenance and new works in 2005-06, £9,781 related to redecoration.